Tempting The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 13) Read online

  “Relax. Everything will work out,” Pauline said. The plan they were about to propose was her idea.

  Relax. Yeah, it was easy for Pauline to say that. She wasn’t the one in danger of having only visitation rights.

  “I’m confident she’ll agree. But if she doesn’t, I have a backup in mind,” his publicist continued.

  Leave it to Pauline to always have multiple strategies prepared. It was just one of the reasons she was at the top of her profession.

  Unless Courtney refused, who the backup was didn’t matter. Regardless, he wanted to know. “Who?”

  “My cousin. Kym graduated from Juilliard. She’s done a few commercials and some small parts on television but so far has had no luck landing any big roles. A marriage to you would help her career immensely. And she knows how to keep a secret. But I really don’t think I’ll need to get her involved.” Pauline patted his hand in an almost motherly fashion.

  Actually, in a lot of ways she acted more like a mother than his mom, Scarlett, who’d more or less grown up in front of a movie camera. Before she’d met and married his father, she’d partied with the best of them. Her partying ways remained almost nonexistent until after Josh’s younger sister was born and his mom went back to acting. It wasn’t long after that his parents divorced, and his mom went on to spend her time with countless men before marrying and divorcing husband number two and then marrying her current husband, Trevor Basto, six years ago. Since Josh’s life mirrored hers in so many ways, his mom never criticized him or told him to reconsider his behavior. On the other hand, his publicist, who oddly enough wasn’t much older than him, thought nothing of doing both. And now he wished he’d listened to her a little more.

  “I think there’s a decent chance Courtney will agree. If she doesn’t, we’ll worry about it then,” Evan said from across the table.

  From the start, he’d agreed marriage to Courtney would crush much of the muscle behind Naomi’s arguments, especially the fabricated ones for sole custody. He hoped it would also convince her to drop the suit entirely, because if they went to court, the media would be all over it, which meant Adalynn would be dragged through the tabloids too. And he’d do anything to keep her protected.

  A knock on the office door prevented Josh from replying, and a moment later Robin, Evan’s personal assistant, stepped inside.

  “Evan, Ms. Belmont is here,” she said.

  Regardless of whether it was Evan’s personal assistant or someone on the janitorial staff, all the employees at Epic Gaming called his brother by his given name. According to Evan, he wanted everyone at the company to feel like an equal. While Josh approved of his brother’s sentiments, their dad didn’t. He believed no one outside of upper management should call the CEO by his first name. In true Evan fashion though, he’d told their father what he could do with his antiquated beliefs.

  “Thanks, Robin.” Evan stood and followed his assistant out.

  When the door opened a moment later, Evan reentered the room with Courtney a step or two behind him, and Josh’s heart missed a beat. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her. With her only feet away, he recognized what an ass he’d been not to reach out to her since leaving her hotel suite.

  “You already know my brother, Josh. And this is his publicist, Pauline Carten.” Evan gestured toward Pauline.

  Courtney didn’t immediately reply or even move. Instead, she stared at him and then blinked a few times, as if she didn’t believe what she was seeing. After the third time, she stepped closer to the table and extended her hand in Pauline’s direction. “Courtney Belmont. It’s nice to meet you.” Rather than select a seat, she glanced at him and nodded. “Josh, I um.... I didn’t know you would be here today. It’s nice to see you again. Have you been in Providence long?”

  He wasn’t sure what he’d expected her to show up wearing, but it wasn’t the navy blue pinstripe wool skirt and matching blazer. In Hawaii she’d always worn colorful outfits, and somehow the dark business suit reminded him how much he still didn’t know about her.

  “About a week. How have you been?”

  “A little busy but otherwise fine. You?”

  He would have preferred to continue their polite but friendly conversation rather than get to the real reason for the meeting, but Evan had other ideas.

  “Please make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything, Courtney?” Evan pulled out a chair for her at about the same time Josh lost the battle to do the same thing himself. If he’d pulled out the chair, it would have been the one next to him, not the one across the table.

  “I’m fine for now, thank you.” Her eyes never strayed from him as she replied and sat down.

  With everyone seated and the pleasantries out of the way, Evan didn’t waste any time getting down to business. “Before we get started, I want to apologize for not being upfront about today’s meeting.”

  Her forehead wrinkled in confusion, but much to Josh’s relief she didn’t get up and leave, something he’d feared would happen once Evan came clean.

  They’d discussed Josh meeting with Courtney alone, however Pauline insisted it was a better idea for her to come to Evan’s office, eliminating the possibility any pictures of them would surface in case she refused to go along with their plan. At the time, Pauline’s argument seemed reasonable. Now though, he wished he’d called Courtney and arranged a private meeting with her rather than have his appearance here blindside her.

  “While I do have a proposal I want to discuss with you regarding Epic Gaming and the foundation, it isn’t the only reason I arranged this meeting,” Evan continued.

  “Okay, and what is your other reason?” she asked in a tone filled with both suspicion and interest.

  “I’m sure you’re—” Evan began.

  “One of the reasons we asked you here was to tell you Evan and I are each donating one million dollars to the foundation.” Josh appreciated his brother’s help, but Courtney deserved to hear the truth from him. “The second is because I’m hoping you’ll be willing to help me.”

  After Courtney got over the shock of seeing Josh again, she wondered if she’d made a mistake and her meeting with Evan was tomorrow. As far as she knew, Josh had nothing to do with his brother’s company, so there was no reason for him to be here. It took only a matter of seconds for her to dismiss her theory that she’d showed up at the wrong time or day. Evan’s assistant would’ve told her the meeting was another day, not let Evan know she was here. Now that her initial shock at seeing Josh was gone, other emotions were taking over, most of them attached to the memories she had of their time together.

  Focus. Later she could deal with her feelings and the images going through her head. For whatever reason, Josh hadn’t contacted her directly, but at the same time he claimed he needed her help.

  “You already know I have a daughter,” he continued.

  Thanks to Josh’s efforts, pictures of his daughter rarely appeared in the media, but he’d showed her several photos while in Hawaii. There was no denying the family resemblance between the two of them.

  Nodding, Courtney wondered where the conversation was headed.

  “Since Adalynn’s birth, her mother and I have shared joint custody. Last month while I was in Hawaii, Naomi filed for sole custody. If the courts grant it, I’ll have almost no say in any aspect of her life and I’ll only get weekend visits.”

  Unless the woman had an incredibly good reason, it sounded like a bitchy thing to do, especially after all this time.

  “She claims my reputation and career make me an unfit father.”

  Josh sounded past the point of frustrated, and she could understand why. “Josh, I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, but I’m not sure how I can help. I know nothing about family law.”

  “I can control what new projects I take on. At the moment, I have nothing planned, and if I have to give up acting to keep custody of Adalynn, I’ll do it in a heartbeat. My reputation is another matter. I can’t change the
past. But...” Josh paused as if searching for the right words. “If I was married, it would go a long way to fixing it—especially if I’m married to you.”

  A dancing bear in a pink tutu could walk in the room right now and she wouldn’t be any more surprised. “I must have missed something,” she said before he continued. She didn’t think she had, but a more appropriate response escaped her. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

  Josh nodded.

  Yep, this was by far turning into the most bizarre meeting she ever attended. “Putting aside all the other reasons this is a crazy idea, don’t you think it’ll appear odd if we suddenly get married? We spent all of two weeks together in December and haven’t seen each other since.”

  “Josh hasn’t been seen in the company of anyone but you since early June, before he went on location in New Zealand. It would be easy to spin a story that you kept your relationship a secret leading up to your trip in December. And only the four of us here know that today is the first time you’ve seen each other in weeks,” Pauline said, joining the conversation for the first time.

  If his publicist said he hadn’t been with any other woman but her in months, she couldn’t argue. If anyone in this room besides Josh would know, it would be her. It didn’t change the fact what he was proposing was a crazy idea.

  “I know I’m asking a lot,” Josh said, cutting into her thoughts.

  Talk about an understatement. “You think?” The words slipped out before she could stop them, because nutty idea or not, she needed to remain professional.

  “We obviously don’t have to stay married indefinitely.”

  If Josh was asking for any other favor from her, she’d tell him to sign her up. But this went as far beyond a favor as anyone could ask. At the same time, if she refused, would Josh and Evan withhold their donation? While they received some generous contributions from donors, they didn’t get two million dollars every day.

  “I’m not sure, Josh. I need time to think about it.” Part of her, probably the part she should be ignoring, was telling her to go for it. They’d had a lot of fun together in Hawaii, and she had missed him the past few weeks. If she said no, she’d kill any chance she might have with him. Her logical side, the side she should listen to, was urging her to say “thank you for the offer, but I’m not interested.”

  Unfortunately, she was interested. Despite her repeated reminders not to get emotionally involved while they were together in Hawaii, she had. And seeing Josh again today had those emotions surging toward the surface again.

  “Understandable,” he said.

  She’d expected an argument from him. After all, the sooner they got married, the better, considering the situation he’d explained. “I’ll call you no later than Thursday.” Perhaps thinking she’d have a decision anytime this decade was being optimistic, but she needed to tell him something.

  “And just so you know, the donations are not contingent on your decision.”

  Thank goodness.

  Pauline appeared ready to speak. Perhaps she thought they needed an answer sooner. Whatever the publicist intended to say, she didn’t get the chance.

  “Evan, now is probably a good time to discuss the proposal you have,” Josh said, rather than pressure her for an immediate answer.

  For the next forty minutes, Evan shared his ideas for how Epic could partner with the foundation. Courtney did her best to follow along, but her mind repeatedly drifted away from the portfolio Evan handed her and to the man across the table. The man who wanted to marry her so he wouldn’t lose joint custody of his little girl. It truly was the craziest request she’d ever received, but one she was tempted to agree to. Being married to Josh certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

  “Before you leave, I want to make sure you know your answer to what we discussed earlier will not effect this partnership,” Evan said once they finished reviewing the information he’d presented her with.

  “I’ll need sometime to review this in more detail. I’ll be in touch soon about everything we discussed today.” She reached for the briefcase she’d set on the floor. Her meeting with Evan wasn’t her only one this afternoon. She had another one back at her office in an hour. She not only wanted but also needed some time alone to get her head back to where it needed to be before her appointment walked through the door.

  After exchanging the appropriate goodbyes, she pushed in her chair and stepped toward the door. Before she could move any further, Josh stood and came around the table. “I’ll walk with you.”

  Evidently, sorting her thoughts would have to wait another few minutes.

  Neither of them spoke as they walked past Evan’s personal assistant and the other offices located on the floor. Despite the lack of conversation, she remained very aware that he stood less than an arm’s length away.

  Josh waited until they were safely alone behind the elevator doors before facing her. “I’ve thought about calling you several times since last month.”

  Her heart did a little dance. He sounded sincere. Maybe she hadn’t imagined the connection in Hawaii. Then again, it was possible he was trying to sway her decision.

  “And not because of what we just discussed,” he continued.

  The man was an actor, so at least for the moment she would take everything he said with a grain of salt.

  “I wanted to explain the situation to you in private, but Pauline thought it would be best if we met here instead. I shouldn’t have listened to her though. I’m sorry.”

  Whether he’d asked for her help in the privacy of her apartment or in his brother’s office wouldn’t have changed much. “It would have been an awkward conversation regardless, Josh.”

  “You’re probably right.” He took a step closer, and her brain conjured up the memory of them embracing on her balcony while they watched the fireworks. “Are you busy tonight?” he asked.

  Wednesday night she had book club. This month, her friend Meg, who also lived at the Mayfair, was hosting. Then on Thursday she tentatively had plans to get together with a college friend who might be in the area, but tonight her calendar was wide open. “No.”

  “I’d like a chance to catch up. I’m having dinner with my dad and stepmom around six, but we should be done by eight.”

  She wouldn’t mind more than a chance to catch up. But indulging in more of the fun they’d shared in Hawaii would only complicate the decision she needed to make. “I’ll be home if you want to stop by. I live at the Mayfair in the penthouse. I’ll let the doorman know I’m expecting you so he’ll let you in.”

  When she first started looking for a place to live in Providence, she’d considered the Hillcrest, the city’s premier condo building. As gorgeous as the building was, the fact three of her cousins already called it home convinced her to look elsewhere. She loved her family, but she didn’t want someone checking up on her. Considering how protective Trent, Gray, and Derek could be when it came to the female members of the family, exactly that would’ve happened. While the Mayfair wasn’t as new as the Hillcrest, she’d fallen in love with the building’s penthouse apartment the moment she stepped inside.

  The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out together. She expected him to stop, but he kept walking alongside her toward the entrance to the building’s parking garage.

  “I’ll be over after dinner. Do you want me to call you first?”

  A blast of cold air hit her head-on when they stepped outside, and she shivered. “No need, unless your plans change and you decide not to come.”

  His index finger moved across her hand, and she shivered again, although this time it had nothing to do with the cold temperature. “Won’t happen. I’ll see you later.”

  Four

  No question about it, Josh had more in common with his mom than his dad, but he always preferred spending time with his dad and stepmom, Laura. Throughout their meal tonight though, he kept looking at his watch and wondering when the evening would end. While his dad and stepmom knew abo
ut the custody issues, they both assumed he planned to leave the situation in the hands of his capable, if expensive, attorney. Their assumption led to numerous questions and suggestions, none of which even came close to the plan he’d laid out to Courtney earlier—something he had no intention of telling them about. While they might understand the reasoning behind it, neither would approve. He didn’t intend to share the plan with his mom either but for a different reason. Even if it was a matter of life and death, the woman couldn’t keep a secret. If Courtney agreed to help him and his mom knew the real reason behind their marriage, the media and Naomi would eventually know too.

  For the umpteenth time this evening, Josh checked the time. Almost seven thirty, and they were headed for the restaurant’s exit. Not too bad. He’d guessed they’d leave the restaurant around eight.

  “How much longer are you staying in the area?” his dad asked.

  “I’m not sure.” If things went the way he hoped, he’d be calling Providence home for the foreseeable future. As much as he’d rather have Courtney relocate to his house in Maine, he recognized her job was in the city. If she married him, he couldn’t ask her to give up her position at the foundation.

  “Laura and I are leaving on Friday. We’ll be gone for most of the month. If you want to stay at the house instead of with Evan, you’re more than welcome.”

  “Evan would miss me too much if I bailed on him now. But I appreciate the offer.” Actually, it was the other way around. Most of the time he enjoyed the solitude of living alone, especially after months of working on a film, but since Naomi’s bombshell, he’d found being alone only added to his despair. Being at Evan’s this past week had helped.

  Rather than get into the car the valet brought around, Laura hugged him. “If you get any updates while we’re away, please call us.” She might not be his biological mother, but she’d always treated him like a son and she viewed Adalynn as her granddaughter.

  “I will.” Depending on the answer he got from Courtney, he might be calling them for a very different reason within the next week or so.